Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine January 2026

HVACR NewsMagazine January 2026

Energy Talk

Myths of Energy Savings

undampened venting, and defects in framing or general construction, and is on the way out of your home. Most everyone knows about duct sealing, but less of the population understand the mechanics of home construction that allows air to penetrate the air barrier. A continuous boundary must be maintained around, over and under if basements or crawl spaces exist. The boundary will slow temperature, air infiltration and moisture migration at minimal levels. Gaps and cracks and mechanical dampers allow air flow through the structure. Misaligned air and insulation barriers generally occur due to framing inconsistency that makes it difficult to maintain those lines of defense. If changing out the mechanical system (AC and or Heating System) or making other decisions for construction or energy conservation measures and the home has never had a blower door analysis performed, it may be best to have the test performed. The blower door analysis utilizes a mechanical fan to depressurize the home to simulate a twenty-mile an hour wind (negative 50 pascals) from all sides of the home. Ratings are measured Air Changes per Hour or ACH. The test is inexpensive, and some contractors will waive the test fees if they do the equipment upgrade. This process will take guesswork out of the existing structure. Either way it is an important part of understanding the efficiency of the home you live in. A home built in the 2012 to 2015 era will fall in a range of 3 to 4 ACH. It is not uncommon for older homes single or multi floor to have an ACH of 7 or more. Passive homes (very efficient) are required to achieve a .06 ACH. Unrealized air leakage is the number one issue that causes oversizing

Tom Turner, Air Evangelist

Facts vs. Sales Quotas Our world rotates with sales of some sort or another. When you have something to sell, it’s easy to massage facts to your advantage. Some do so willingly, but most of the time the sales folks are clueless and simply pass on less than accurate sales information, slanted to make products appear valuable. This short paper is to remind us all whether a builder, contractor, technician, homeowner or realtor where sales tactics and facts are separated. A word on solar No matter what your persuasion with green energy or fossil fuel, it is best to be sure your home is as efficient as possible prior to adding energy saving measures. Particularly solar energy. Why? You might see a reduction in utility usage, but you may never see benefit from solar as far as a return on your investment. Solar on older homes may only be a backup for only a few hours or up to a couple of days. You can spend tens of thousands of dollars, and the result may be as futile as Don Quixote fighting windmills. Undoubtedly the future holds many surprises, and affordable storage in a compact footprint may be on the horizon. Importance of envelope air sealing Have you ever opened your front door on a breezy day to have a gush of air hit you in the face? That rush of air is demonstrative of the quantity of air that has found its way into the home by way of